The Sister's Prank
by Eldest Tempest
Summary: Hinoki Kasuga lives all the way in America, far from the land of her birth. So, what can she do for special occasions? Answer: Tease her younger sibling, of course! Oneshot. Happy birthday, Hinoki!


**Greetings! Eldest Tempest here with the fourth installment in this crazy oneshot challenge, featuring Hinoki Kasuga, older sister of Kusunoki. Feel free to put any feedback you have in a review!  
**

 **Image Manager _still_ appears to be on the fritz. I wonder when that will be resolved. Cover image is supposed to be from the manga, during Hinoki's Conquest arc.**

 *** Insert obligatory manga spoiler warning here. ***

 **Hope you enjoy the story!**

* * *

Hinoki Kasuga was bored.

This was an odd feeling, considering her careers as a designer, actress, and artist. With so much to do, it seemed unlikely that she would ever be bored. And yet, here she was, sitting in her room with nothing particularly striking her as exciting.

She whipped out her cell phone from its case and flipped it open. Hinoki then began scrolling through her various contacts, until she settled on one name in particular.

 _Kusunoki Kasuga_.

Hinoki smiled. Although she was half a world away, Hinoki still found that it was quite easy to tease her younger sibling. All she had to do was start a little countdown, and voila, her sister would do anything. Now, what to call about…?

She pondered the issue for some time. Should it be about the dōjō? Their father? A life-threatening situation in America?

It was then that her mind struck upon the perfect plan, summarized in only two simple words.

Keima Katsuragi.

And why not? During her brief tenure in Japan, Hinoki found that the individual known as Keima Katsuragi had proven to be a highly amusing character. Even more entertaining was the way Kusunoki would react whenever Hinoki brought him up.

Yes, Keima would fit her designs perfectly. She began dialing Kusunoki's number, then pressed the call button.

A few rings later, she heard some shuffling, and was greeted by the voice of her sister. "Yes?"

"Kusunoki!" Hinoki shouted into the phone as loudly as possible. A moment later, she heard a thud, possibly the phone, possibly Kusunoki.

"Gah!" she heard Kusunoki exclaim. " _A_ - _Aneue_. I didn't expect for you to be calling."

"Surprise!" Hinoki grinned, unable to contain her glee at the upcoming conversation. "I was able to take the day off early today. Even brilliance needs a rest once in a while!"

"… I see," Kusunoki said. "Um… what are you calling about exactly? If it's for more rice balls-"

"Oh no, don't worry! You don't have to worry about me dying a horrible death if I don't get one. I'm here to talk about something else."

"Well, that's a relief," Kusunoki casually remarked. "What is it, then?"

Hinoki's smirk widened. "I think you knoooooow."

"… I'm afraid I don't, no," Kusunoki answered.

"I'll give you a hint! It's about a certain man who arrived at the dōjō."

The line seemed to go dead for a few moments, as if Kusunoki had ended the call out of embarrassment or anger at being teased. "Katsuragi. What about him?"

"I want you to talk to him!" Hinoki explained. "Just a nice, fun chat about things like martial arts, your mutual acquaintance with your amazing sister, how much you love each other…"

" _Aneue_." Kusunoki's voice adopted a _very_ dangerous tone, one that would make many people shrink back in fear. Hinoki, however, was not fazed. "You already asked me to do this once before, and I will _not_ be doing that again. It was an incredibly embarrassing experience."

"Which is why we're doing it again!" Hinoki chirped. "You need to open up a bit more, Kusunoki, and stop being so serious. Embarrassment is a natural part of human life! Also," Hinoki changed her tone to something deathly serious, "it's my birthday today, you know that, right?"

"… Yes," Kusunoki grudgingly acknowledged. "But I'm still not going through with your plan!"

"Oh, come on! You can't do it as a birthday present for me?" Hinoki asked, her voice dripping with hurt.

"I don't think I can risk that, no," Kusunoki replied.

"Ten!" Hinoki began, re-adopting her pleasant demeanor, and beginning the dreaded countdown.

"No!"

"Nine!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Eight!"

"I refuse!"

"Seven!"

"Damn you, Hinoki!" Kusunoki cursed, then hung up.

Hinoki closed her cell phone, and leaned back, an expression of utter satisfaction written on her face. This was going to be a fantastic birthday present.

* * *

 _Slam_.

The phone crashed down hard on the place where it normally rested, as Kusunoki ended her conversation with her older sister.

" _T_ - _Toushu_!" one of her pupils exclaimed. "Is everything alright?"

"Just… fine…" she gritted out, then began to walk to her room in the dōjō, in order to change clothes. Showing up in her martial arts uniform was not something she planned on doing. Thank goodness Hinoki hadn't been specific with her request.

" _Toushu_ is very angry today," another one of her students noted.

"Maybe she's going to kill somebody," a third offered.

All of the other pupils turned to look at the one who made the suggestion.

"Yeah, you get 'em, chief!"

"Show no mercy!"

"Death to the enemies of the Kasuga household!"

* * *

 _This seems like the place_ , Kusunoki thought to herself, as she peered around the street corner. In the end, she chose her Maijima High uniform, nothing too casual, nothing too formal.

However, Katsuragi's place seemed to be… rather nice, actually. She had only appeared there once before… during the previous meeting orchestrated by Hinoki. Now that she could take the time to appreciate her surroundings, she found that it altogether seemed a pleasant place to live.

Well, that is, until she noticed somebody was watching her.

She had long, braided black hair with two pink ribbons on either side. Her eyes were a dark purple hue, and she wore a sailor school uniform. She was standing near Katsuragi's house as well, though there was a larger distance between the two of them.

 _Huh_? Kusunoki thought to herself. _Who is she_?

She began to walk towards the person observing her. The girl curled one of her hands into a fist, placing it on her chest, then turned, and began to trudge away. Kusunoki paused. Was that person… nervous? Regardless of that, she wanted to know why somebody was watching her like that. She quickened her pace.

"Hey!" Kusunoki called out.

The girl stopped. "How brazen," she murmured.

Kusunoki halted a few paces away. The sheer authority that resounded in that voice commanded her limbs to involuntarily stop.

"How brazen of that _man_ ," the girl said in a louder voice, "to be philandering with another woman!"

She turned to face Kusunoki. The thing that she immediately noticed was that the previously purple eyes had now sharpened and been replaced with a pink-red hue. She also noted the presence of some form of halo hovering above her head. How had she not noticed that before? Was this girl some sort of cosplayer?

"To think that after _everything_ Tenri did for him, in the end, he rejected her, and chose somebody else!" she continued. "And to top it all off, he's regressed back into his womanizing ways!" She extended an accusing finger towards Kusunoki. "How dare you usurp Tenri's rightful place!"

" _Wh_ - _What_?!" Kusunoki answered, flustered. Just who _was_ this woman? "N-No, you've got the wrong idea! I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Hmph!" she exclaimed. "I'm sure you don't! That Katsuragi…" She clenched her fists, shaking with anger. "Why _are_ you here, then?"

… _Sister_ , _you've sent me into a very precarious situation_. Kusunoki sighed. "To talk to Katsuragi." The girl she was speaking with instantly narrowed her eyes at that. Kusunoki hurriedly continued. "Listen, I am not sure _what_ Katsuragi has been up to. I haven't even said a word to him in months. The only reason I am here is because my older sister asked me to be."

"Ah, the curse of older siblings…" she mused, then folded her arms across her chest. "As one who _has_ older sisters, I emphasize with you. Some of Apollo-nee-sama's mischievous acts…" She shook her head in disbelief. "I apologize for my doubts. You may call me Diana."

 _Apollo and Diana_? Kusunoki wondered. _Very unusual names_. She was also surprised that this Diana believed her so easily. Were her older sisters really that bad? She felt she could relate there. "Kusunoki Kasuga. So, what is it that Katsuragi has done?"

Diana's mood darkened. "Kusunoki-san. Had we not met, your sister's idea of a prank would have backfired spectacularly on you."

"And why is that?" Kusunoki inquired. Frankly, she already had her suspicions why. Hinoki's crazy plans were far from perfect, especially when Kusunoki was playing the role of unwilling entertainment. Anything was possible.

"Because Katsuragi-san is romantically engaged," Diana deadpanned.

Well, suspicious of anything but _that_.

"Huh?!" Kusunoki exclaimed. " _Katsuragi_ , of all people?! What, when, how, why?!"

"It wasn't too long ago," Diana explained. "Even I was surprised – and furious when he chose to run off with somebody else. Unforgivable, Katsuragi. Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable…"

A negative aura appeared to be forming around Diana. Kusunoki sought quickly to change the subject, lest she become the object of her wrath. "I-I see! So, that explains it! Thank you very much, Diana-san. I believe I'll be going now." There was little point in talking to Katsuragi at this point, not when Diana looked ready to break something – or somebody. Kusunoki turned and began to walk away.

"Kusunoki-san." Kusunoki turned to face Diana, and was promptly met with two arms grabbing her. She was about to shout in indignation, when one arm clamped itself firmly on her mouth. Diana proceeded to slowly drag her into a hiding place.

" _Mmph_!" she protested. She attempted to fight back, but found that her grip was unusually strong. _Even with my martial skill? Just who_ is _she_?

When Diana let go, Kusunoki was about to furiously demand her reasoning, when Diana placed one finger on her lips, signaling her to be quiet. She then pointed with the same finger towards Katsuragi's household. Kusunoki followed the direction she was pointing with her eyes.

"Thanks for letting me come over," she heard a voice say.

Katsuragi stood in the doorway at the front of the house. Just behind him was his younger sister, whose name currently escaped Kusunoki.

What caught her attention, however, was the girl standing outside, in front of Katsuragi.

She had short, brown hair, with a matching eye colour. Like Kusunoki, she wore the uniform of Maijima Private High School. She also carried a heavy-looking guitar case in one hand.

Kusunoki glanced to her right, and saw Diana smoldering with fury. "So… who is that?" she asked.

"That," Diana answered quietly, "is Tenri's rival for Katsuragi's love."

"Chihiro-san!" Kusunoki turned her attention back to the house. "Will we have band practice tomorrow?" Katsuragi's sister appeared to have asked the question.

"Sure thing, Eri," Chihiro replied.

"When will you decide to embrace the 2D realm?" Katsuragi inquired.

" _Blech_. As if I'd play one of your creepy games, _Otamegane_ ," Chihiro retorted in disgust.

"Hmph." Katsuragi shook his head at that. "Defiant as ever."

"It's one of my charming qualities," Chihiro shot back. "I'll see you two tomorrow at school. See ya'!" She offered a farewell wave, then took off running, rushing out of the gate and past the hiding spot of Kusunoki and Diana. Kusunoki silently watched her depart.

"Well then. Back to my games!" Katsuragi declared.

" _Nii-samaaaaaa_ …" Eri sighed in exasperation, as she closed the door.

"She seemed nice," Kusunoki commented, then turned to Diana.

She found Diana giving her an absolutely _venomous_ glare. "That may be so," she grudgingly admitted, "but I cannot, in good conscience, allow Tenri's love to go unrequited."

"So… why are we hiding exactly?" Kusunoki asked.

"Primarily because it would have been considerably awkward for you, had you been spotted loitering by Katsuragi-san's house," she explained. "Also," She pursed her lips. "I wanted to see my- I mean, Tenri's opponent for myself." Diana put one hand on her chin, and appeared to be pondering what she had just witnessed. "Hmmm, this will be difficult to work around…"

 _And I thought_ aneue _liked to meddle in romantic affairs,_ Kusunoki thought. "Right, so… is it 'safe' to leave now?" she asked.

"Hmmm?" Diana glanced at Kusunoki, apparently emerging from deep thought. "Oh, yes, of course. My apologies for my rough handling of you, Kusunoki-san."

"It's… okay," Kusunoki managed. "I'll be going now." Kusunoki began to leave, but for the second time that day, she was stopped with the same words.

"Kusunoki-san."

Kusunoki half-dreaded turning around again, in case she was manhandled again. However, when she did, Diana was simply sitting on the ground.

"I enjoyed our brief time together. Perhaps we may meet again?" Diana inquired.

"I suppose so. Why not?" Kusunoki automatically answered. She then mentally cursed herself. _Fantastic_ , _I'm friends with an obsessive_. Then again, wasn't she herself previously consumed by the desire to purge all weakness from herself?

Diana gave a slight smile at her response, then nodded. With that said, Kusunoki began the long walk back to the dōjō.

* * *

"Kusunoki sure is taking her time…" Hinoki said to nobody in particular, lying on her bed, as she stared up at the ceiling. "I wonder what she's doing."

Only a few moments later, her cell phone began to ring. Hinoki bolted upright, her hand snapping for the phone, as she answered. "Hinoki speaking! How did it go?"

"Katsuragi has a girlfriend," Kusunoki wearily replied.

Hinoki placed her other hand in front of her lips in mock surprise. "My! He does? How unfaithful of him."

"Yes, his infidelity has been explained to me. Several times…"

That caught her attention. "Oh? I didn't think Keima was the naughty sort. I'm envious of you, Kusunoki."

"Sister, please keep your dirty thoughts to yourself."

"Aw, but that's no fun…" Hinoki complained, put out. "So, did you talk to him?"

"I thought it was best not to, considering the circumstances," Kusunoki stated.

"Kusunoki, you have shamed the dōjō! Prepare yourself for a disciplinary reprimand!" Hinoki declared.

She distinctly heard Kusunoki make a noise of dismay. "I-I apologize, _aneue_. I'll make reparations at once!"

"Oh, relax!" Hinoki said, grinning at her sister's gullibility. "I was only kidding! Although some rice balls wouldn't hurt. You can do that for your sister at least, right?"

"… I'll get started immediately. Happy birthday, sister," Kusunoki answered, then the line went dead.

Hinoki shut her cell phone and flopped back onto the bed. She was slightly disappointed that she hadn't gotten the spectacle she had wanted to hear about, but this wasn't too bad. Truthfully, she was content with what Kusunoki had done already.

Even half a world away, Hinoki still was able to tease her little sister. And isn't that what siblings were for?

* * *

Story Extra/Omake:

"Diana," Tenri muttered, shaking her head, as she sat on her bed. "Please don't stalk and frighten people."

"I saw a third party! I felt it was necessary to ensure you had as little opposition as possible!" Diana retorted. "Besides, weren't you the one loitering at Katsuragi-san's house to begin with?"

Tenri's face reddened considerably. "W-Well, yes, but…" She shifted about. "Keima-kun is happy with who he has right now. That's enough for me…"

"I refuse to accept that answer!" Diana folded her arms, offering a harrumph in the mirror, and turning her head away.

Tenri sighed at the stubbornness of her closest friend. Why did she have to meddle so much in her love life? As she tried to come up with a way to resolve the situation, her attention was grabbed by a rather sinister looking object on the coffee table in her room. She slowly looked at the mirror in which Diana was residing. Coincidentally, she was looking in the completely opposite direction of the table. "… Diana. Why is something like that in here?"

"… No reason."

* * *

 **So, this was a bit different from the first three stories. The main issue with writing this story was, "Well, what is Hinoki supposed to do?" The fact that she's in America after her conquest makes it a bit difficult to interact with any of the cast. It was then that I recalled the omakes - and Hinoki's prank calls on Kusunoki. I basically wrote something along that vein. Hinoki might not appear in the story as much as other characters, but she's the puppeteer behind the events that ensue. Of course, things don't go fully as planned...  
**

 **Speaking of things that didn't go as planned, this story underwent several direction changes. The overarching plot changed quite frequently until the final product emerged. Original draft had the call, Kusunoki going to Keima's house, getting thoroughly embarassed, and then angrily yelling at Hinoki over it, who, in true Hinoki fashion, becomes highly amused. However, I then got the idea to add in Chihiro, for maximum awkwardness. I'd planned for the two to meet... then I got the idea of Tenri/Diana appearing. And so this draft came along.**

 **That being said, I hope I got all of the characterizations on point. I'm still new at writing the vast majority of characters, so having this many was good practice. Please let me know if I've made any mistakes, however.**

 **Fairly large gap before the next birthday oneshot. That will be on August 27th, for Nora Floriann Leoria. Between that and today, however, Sora Asuka, the supposedly unconquerable game character in that galge about crayons, has her birthday on the 11th. I find it strange how a character that only appeared in a single chapter/episode got one, but Yokkyun of all people didn't. I wonder how Keima feels about that?**

 **If my brain's feeling inspired, I might get out a non-birthday oneshot, or heck, even a multi-chapter story before the 27th. That could be a nice change of pace.**

 **See you all then!**


End file.
